Her Smile
by Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter
Summary: He really, really loves her smile. Marinette leaves little notes for Adrien all the time, and she signs them with a smiley face. He loves that smiley face... only... why is it drawn on a letter from his Lady?


_**Helloo! So, this is just a little one shot based off the random idea I had of a reveal fic where Marinette outs herself because of her smiley face.**_

 _ **Hope you like it!**_

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He loved her smile.

How could he not? It was cute, and adorable, and made him feel so happy. He _really_ loved her smile... well, not _that_ smile. _Well_ , of course _that_ smile too. (Who wouldn't like that smile?!) What he meant was that he liked the smiles she put on her notes.

It had started when he had told her that he wasn't allowed sweets at home. She had been shocked and horrified to find out that his father and his dietitian had pretty much banned him from letting a sweet pass his lips. There were no deserts in the Agreste household. The only time his father had ever made an exception was when someone had given him a box of chocolates as a thank you. It wouldn't do to be seen as being rude, after all.

The next day he had come to school to find a box on his desk. It was from the _Tom & Sabine Boulangeerie Patisserie_ and it was full of little caramels. Stuck to the front was a little note. ' _Thank you for being my friend,_ ' was all it said. Below that was Marinette's name and a little smiley face. Its eyes were two vertical lines and its mouth was a very wide, curvy C rolled on its back. It even had the little smile flicks at the ends, and a tongue poking out.

It was so Marinette that he couldn't help but smile himself. He had gratefully eaten the caramels... after all, it wouldn't do to be seen being rude. (Seriously, she was so clever and incredibly devious). He had quickly decided that caramels were his favourite sweet.

But it didn't stop after that. He would come to school on random days to find a small box on his desk with a note. What she had brought him varied, and note said something different every time. Though, to be honest, it was getting to the point where he was looking forward to her notes more than the sweets themselves.

' _Thank you for helping me with the Physics homework._ '

' _Thank you for covering for me yesterday._ '

' _Thanks for teaching me some more Chinese._ '

' _Thanks for being such a good friend to Nino._ '

' _Thank you for lending me your notes when I fell asleep._ '

' _Thank you for your amazing face._ ' (He'd snorted at that one).

But every time it was still signed the same. Marinette's name down the bottom in her pretty loopy writing, and her beautiful little smiley face.

He loved her smile.

.

Today, however, her smile was absent. And no, he wasn't talking about the note, he meant her real one this time. Something was getting the poor girl down, and she was slumped on her her desk with a sad frown in place of her usual bright smile.

Everyone seemed down in some way this morning, but she seemed especially saddened. It probably had something to do with what had happened yesterday. Not even he and Ladybug knew what gone wrong, but when she had used Miraculous Cure, not everything had fixed itself. There was a lot of damage left behind and everyone was worried. Ladybug had looked horrified and had started to panic. The last he had seen of her, she had torn herself from his grasp and swung off, tears in her eyes.

Alya had caught this all on her live feed, so of course everyone had seen her. He knew Alya felt bad about it. He could see it on her face. And everyone was worried about what had happened. A few of them – like him – were probably worried about Ladybug. She'd copped a lot of flack for what happened in the media and the Ladyblog had turned into a war zone about her until Alya had banned the discussion. At least everyone here was on Ladybug's side. Well, except...

"I can't believe she did that!" Chloé snarked loudly for the third time that day. "I thought she was supposed to be _good_ at everything. She's supposed to _save_ the city, not ruin it. Ugh, my daddy's going to have to fork out _so_ much money to fix the damage, just because _she_ couldn't do her _job_!"

Adrien gritted his teeth in anger, his fists tightening till his knuckles turned white. How dare she?! He's held his tongue the last few times, but he couldn't stand it anymore. How dare she talk about his Lady that way when it had been her fault in the first pace?!

"You know, for someone who claims to be such a big fan of her, you are really horrible to her, Chloé," he said tersely.

"Hey, I am-"

"No," he cut her off, rising to his feet. "You don't get to argue about this. I've _seen_ how you treat her. I've _heard_ what you say to her. And you know what? You can dress up as her and run around pretending to save Paris as much as you want, but you will never be half the person she is, let alone her biggest fan. She is wonderful, and kind, and she _cares_ about everyone in Paris. She _cares_ about the people who try to help, the people who are caught in attacks, she even cares about the victims themselves. You don't care about anyone other than yourself. You don't get to call yourself her fan when you can't even uphold her values, let alone treat her right. You don't _get_ to call yourself her fan when you complain that she isn't doing her job right. Especially when you're the reason why so many people are turned into Akumas. I really don't blame her for getting short with you when you were Akumatized. I mean, yeah, for once you were right and maybe she should have listened to you. But you haven't really given her much of a reason to in the past. Ladybug works so hard to save this city, and-"

"Chat Noir," a small voice said from behind him. He stiffened at the name, suddenly worried that his outburst had caused someone to recognise him. He turned around to see Marinette staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Ladybug _and Chat Noir_ ," she said again firmly. "They _both_ save Paris. They're a team. Partners. People need to stop leaving him out, because he is _just_ as important as Ladybug. He is _just_ as wonderful and kind as she is, if not more, okay?!"

Adrien's mouth popped open in surprise, a warm feeling creeping up his chest. "You - you really think that?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. Her voice still sounded a little annoyed, like she was personally offended that he had forgotten to mention Chat while standing up for Ladybug.

He smiled widely. "You're amazing. You know that, right?" he told her. The speed at which her face turned bright red was alarming, and he was about to make sure she was okay when Chloé snorted.

"Pfft! Watever. They're both just as useless when it comes down to it."

The blonde was met by two sets of eyes in a twin glare, and for once – much to everyone's relief – she actually shut up.

* * *

.oOo.

* * *

It was almost midnight when Chat Noir jumped back out of the hatch that lead from Marinette's roof into her room. She wasn't in there, but that didn't matter. It would be more of a surprise for her. Though, he wished he could have seen her face. She was probably doing something in her lounge... and knowing her had fallen asleep down there. A fond smile tugged at his lips at the idea.

The smile stayed on his face the entire time as he jumped over the roofs of Paris. Though, it grew into a full blown grin when he spotted a familiar spotted figure in red dashing towards him a few roofs away. She stopped when she saw him and gave him a big wave before swinging over to him.

"Chat Noir! You're out late." she said. She seemed confused, but she looked as happy as he felt. Which was a relief, considering the state she'd been in when she had ran away from him the day before.

"As are you, my Lady," he chuckled. "What are you doing on this fine night?"

He watched in surprise as a light blush dusted her cheeks, complimenting the mask she wore. "Someone in my class was complaining about Ladybug and what happened yesterday. I really wanted to defend myself, but... I just couldn't. And some of the things she said... well, she was right, or at least I thought so at the time." She had turned away from him, looking so timid he wanted to reach out and hug her. But then a faint smile appeared on her face and her blush deepened. "And then A- then this boy stood up and he defended me! He said so many nice things about me, and I actually believed them. I mean, I usually get so much praise from everyone that... it starts to feel empty. Like, they don't actually know me. They just know that I'm Ladybug and this is who I should be... But, when he said it... I actually believed it." She smiled down at the ground, biting her lip. Something churned in Chat's stomach as he got the feeling that whoever this boy was, he was more than just _some boy_ to her. "So I dropped off a gift for him at his house."

Shrugging off the anxiousness he felt at the idea of Ladybug liking someone else, Chat grinned. "What a coincidence," he said. "I've just come back from dropping off a present too."

"Oh?" she questioned coyly. "And who is it that receives your affections tonight, Kitty?"

"Well, I heard through the school grapevine that our dear Marinette stood up for _me_ today. Unlike you, I don't get all the praise and such. I usually get the blame for what's left of any destruction, or seen as a hindrance, or flat out forgotten. At least to most people. I know there are fangirls out there, but still. Marinette isn't a fangirl. She's too level headed and sweet around me for that. And sassy. _Very_ sassy." He chuckled. "I heard that she said some really wonderful things about me. Told off some boy for forgetting me in his rant. So I got her a little something. She wasn't home, which kinda sucks. I wanted to see her open it... Oh well, maybe she'll wear it to school tomorrow."

"You go to the same school as her?" Ladybug gasped, her eyes wide.

Chat winced as he realised his mistake. "Yeah. Sorry, I know you probably didn't want to know that." She bit her lip again, but her expression morphed into curiosity and she cocked her head as a thoughtful look appeared on his face. "You know, I'm a little concerned. The hatch above her bed was unlocked. Anyone who can get to her roof would be able to jump in. I kind of want to tell her to lock it so she stays safe, but I don't think I can do that without sounding creepy."

Ladybug laughed. "You're right. It would be creepy if you tried to tell her that, especially since she doesn't know you're Chat Noir. Which, by the way, I doubt she'd be happy to find out that you went into her room anyway."

"Hardly!" he cried. "I barely went in! I knocked and when she didn't answer I just dropped in onto her bed and left the gift there. For all she knows, I didn't even go inside... I probably wouldn't have, but her room smells like cookies. I _really_ love cookies." Ladybug just shook her head in amusement. "Besides, it's not like the first time I've been in her room before."

"... _What_?!" At her look of surprise and what could possibly have been anger, he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Okay, I may have lied when I said I didn't know Marinette. She's actually a friend of mine. She invited me over once, so I've been in her room before as... well, just me."

"Oh..."

"So yeah, what she said means even more to me because of that. She cares about both sides of me, even if she doesn't know it. And she's just so sweet, and wonderful, and utterly amazing. And I love making her smile, so..."

"...Chat, do you _like_ Marinette?" she said after a heavy pause. Her brow was furrowed and her expression unreadable. Chat gulped. W-was it that obvious?

"Well, yeah. She's my friend." Ladybug looked at him with a sceptical raised eyebrow. That wasn't what she had meant and he knew it. "...Okay, I lied," he said again. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, refusing to look at Ladybug anymore. "Lately she may have become a little more than just a friend to me..."

"You..."

He shook his head. "Look, it's confusing, and I don't want to get into it. I just want her to be happy. She's really adorable when she's happy. So yeah, just a little something to say thank you, and show her how much she means to me. I mean, _it!_ How much _it_ meant to me." He buried his face in his hands. "I'm just going to go home," he moaned. "I shouldn't even be talking about this with you."

Ladybug giggled, then gently pried one of his hands away from his face so she could press a kiss to his cheek. He sucked in a breath, his cheeks starting to blaze under her touch.

"Good night, Kitty," she said quietly, her smile evident in her voice.

"Yeah, because that helps," he muttered under his breath. She must have heard him, because she giggled again. He shook his head in exasperation. "Good night, my Lady."

He watched as she turned and dashed off, using her yoyo to make a particularly large jump between houses. It wasn't until she was out of his sight that he finally turned and headed home.

Chat shook his head to clear it. He had not meant to tell Ladybug any of that. Especially his crush on Marinette. She was the _last_ person he should be telling that. Why didn't he just shout at her 'I love you, but clearly not enough, because I totally just fell for this other girl. A girl who I'm fairly certain is also your friend!' Ugh, this was a mess.

Still, the thought of Marinette opening her present brought a giddy smile to his face. He could practically _see_ the delighted smile that would grace her pretty lips. He'd made sure she'd know it was from him. The small black box was wrapped with a green ribbon, and he'd left a note thanking her for what she said and telling her how much it had mean to him. He'd also signed it with his signature paw print, and gone to the effort to draw a little winking cat face beside it. He wasn't the best at drawing, but he think he did a pretty good job. (Though, he would never admit that he had practiced drawing the face five times until he got it down perfectly).

He really hoped she liked her present. He never saw her wear a necklace, so he had brought her one. Just a thin silver chain that fell to her collar bone, so the pendant would nestle just above her breast. He never saw her wear any Ladybug and Chat Noir merchandise, but he knew that she really did love them, even though she very rarely spoke up about it. So the pendant was of a black cat sitting on a crescent moon, and sitting just above the curl of its tail was a small jewelled ladybug. It was subtle, but very pretty. He really hoped she liked it. He couldn't wait to see her in it.

.

The moment he was in his room he detransformed, going straight to his bed and flopping down onto it face first.

"Well, you kinda messed that one up," Plagg snorted.

"You know I don't think around her, Plagg," he moaned. "Of course I was going to be an idiot and blurt that out."

"Well, to be fair, you needed to talk to someone about it that wasn't me, since for some reason you find my advice horribly 'unhelpful', as you put it."

"Yeah, but to _her_ of all people?!"

"Relax," Plagg urged him light-heartedly. "As usual, you are making away too big a deal out of this. I mean, did you see her face when you said you liked Marinette?"

Adrien groaned. "Yes. Ugh! I've ruined everything."

He heard Plagg sigh in frustration, but that was followed by a curious "huh?"

"'Huh?' What?" he asked.

"There's something on your bed."

"What? There is?" As he moved to search for it, he felt his hand brush against something. It felt like paper, and when he clutched it he found that it was a flimsy box that fit in both hands. "Plagg, can you get the light?"

He felt his Kwami dash past him and a moment later he was blinking as the sudden light from his bedside lamp blinded him. When he finally managed to gain back enough sight, he saw that he was clutching a brightly wrapped present. The paper was red with black spots that had been hand painted on, and it was topped with a black bow... Ladybug. He blinked in surprise as he thought back to what she had said. A guy in her class had defended her... He had yelled at Chloé for being rude to her... _Ladybug was in his class?!_

Hurriedly, he tore the paper off the gift, revealing a box from the _Tom & Sabine Boulangeerie Patisserie_. Through the clear top, he could see that it was filled with his favourite caramels. But what he noticed first was the note that fluttered to the bed. He placed the sweets to the side and eagerly grabbed the note.

' _My dearest Adrien,_

 _I heard you defending me from Chloé earlier today, and I just wanted to thank you. You have no idea what it meant to me. Especially since it was coming from you. I honestly didn't stop smiling for the rest of the day, which was pretty big considering how down I felt about the last attack. So thank you._

 _You are so amazing._

 _P.S. I heard that caramels are your favourite. I hope you like them!_

 _Love Ladybug._ '

Beside her name were her signature doodles... Suddenly the smile on his face froze and he felt his eyes become incredibly large. It wasn't just her usual Ladybug signature, she'd also drawn a smiley face... An incredibly familiar smiley face with long eyes, a wide mouth with smile flicks, and its tongue poking out. _Her_ smile.

"...No," he said in disbelief, his voice low.

It... it couldn't be... His luck wasn't that good! It – it made perfect sense. From her appearance to her attitude and even to her voice, now that he thought about it. But he _wasn't that lucky_! He ran to his desk and opened the draw where he had been keeping the notes Marinette left him. He snatched one and held it up to Ladybug's letter. Identical. He picked up another, and another, and yet another. Identical. All of them were identical. Marinette's adorable smiley face was the exact one that his Lady had quickly scrawled on her note. He doubted she'd even realised she'd done it. It was probably a habit of hers to sign her notes with a smiley face. But there was no doubt about it. It was hers!

"Oh my god," he dead-panned. "Oh my god, _oh my god_ , _**oh my god**_!" His voice got more excited with each exclamation, and soon he was rushing around like a madman. Plagg just looked at his charge in exhaustion, planting his face into his small paw. Just as suddenly as it started, Adrien's excitement vanished. He froze still as dread crept through him. "Oh my god. Marinette is Ladybug. And I just told Ladybug that I'm in love with Marinette. Oh no! What have I done?!"

Plagg chuckled. "You are such an idiot," he said affectionately.

"I really am!" he sighed, once again flopping face first down onto his bed. "Ugh! I'm never going to get to sleep now!"

* * *

.oOo.

* * *

Adrien was right. He didn't get much sleep. He had spend so much time going over every little detail about Marinette and Ladybug that he knew and forming them into one person in his mind's eye. He also spent way too much time analysing certain lines in her note like ' _My dearest Adrien_ ', ' _Especially since it was coming from you_ ', and most of all ' _Love Ladybug_ '. _Love_ _._

He was exhausted... Maybe that was why he was being so incredibly stupid right now.

He stood beside Marinette's desk, pen in hand and a piece of note paper at the ready. There were very few people in class at the moment, so he didn't care if anyone saw him. It's not like they would _cat_ ch on anyway.

He had found out who she was because of a note... it was only fair that she found out the same way. At least, that's what his sleep deprived brain was telling him anyway.

With a grin, he started his letter.

' _My dearest Ladybug,_

 _Thanks SO much for the caramels. They were purrfect! (Just like you)._

 _P.S. Have I ever told you how much I love your smile?_

 _Love Adrien._ '

Beside his name, he drew a very recognisable winking cat face. Folding the letter up, he wrote her name on the outside so that she would see it, then went and sat back down at his desk.

He sat and waited – surprisingly patient – as the class slowly filtered in, filling the class with their morning chatter. When Alya came in and saw the note on her friend's desk, she gave a curious look. He could tell the budding reporter was _dying_ to know what was enclosed.

It wasn't until most of the class had arrived that Marinette finally entered. (It never ceased to surprise him how late she could be, considering she lived just across the road). She had a far off, dazed look on her face. Like him, he could tell that she hadn't had much sleep. She was toying with something at her throat and he beamed when he realised it was the necklace he'd given her. _She had worn it like he wanted!_

"Hey, Marinette," he called to her.

She started at the sound of his voice. "O-oh, hi Adrien," she replied. She looked a little wary and he wondered what was going on in her head. His heart skipped a beat at the possibility that she was thinking about Chat's confession. He wanted to ask her, but considering what he had just done, he played it cool, keeping his expression as straight as possible.

"Caramel?" he asked innocently, holding the box up for her.

"Th-thanks," she stuttered, tentatively taking one of the caramels she had given to him. Of course, she wasn't aware he knew they were from her. It wasn't until she had popped it in her mouth and moved past him distractedly that he allowed a small smirk to curl his lip. It looked like what he'd said last night had really thrown her… and he was about to do it again.

It took a lot of effort for him not to look back and watch her, but he heard the confused little noise she made when she discovered the note. He heard the soft scrape of the paper as the note was opened. He waited for her to finish reading the letter, his breath stuck in his chest in anticipation as the silence stretched on.

"W-wait," he finally heard her mutter. There was another long silence and he could practically feel her eyes burning into the back of his head. And then… " _ **Oh my god!**_ "

A wicked grin spread across his face.

Nailed it.


End file.
